


Ice and Steel

by MsLanna



Category: Star Wars: Rebels
Genre: F/M, Perfect drabbles, inktober 2017 prompts
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-02
Updated: 2017-10-31
Packaged: 2019-01-08 03:39:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 31
Words: 3,100
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12246252
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MsLanna/pseuds/MsLanna
Summary: A collection of perfect drabbles written to the inktober 2017 prompts.Focus on Arihnda Pryce and Thrawn. I will go down with this ship.





	1. Swift

Impossibly swift. It was the only was to describe Commander Thrawn's rise through the ranks. It took years from captain to commander. The alien had made it from lieutenant in the same time.

Arihnda looked over the file again. But there was no foul play, the small but obvious signs of favours curried were missing. What was curious was his tendency to come out of court-martial panels promoted. Only very few people could effect that.

_The Emperor has taken a shine to him,_ Moff Tarkin's word echoed in her mind.

If that was true, Thrawn would be a powerful asset.


	2. Divided

Thrawn gazed out of the _Chimaera's_ bridge viewports. Few stars lit the space around them, a common sight in the regions his missions took him. Somewhere out in the darkness lay the Chiss Ascendancy. He blinked slowly.

His home lay besieged, refusing to admit it. The legendary Chiss prowess in battle meant little to the foes surrounding them. It meant little to his newfound allies as well. The Empire looked strong but it was held together mostly by too many forces pulling it into too many directions. One small imbalance would break it apart.

He needed better allies.   
Or friends.


	3. Poison

A few words was all it took. Spoken into the right ears at the right time they worked wonders. An easy game were you playing it alone. But you weren't—you never were.

Arihnda looked out over Corsucant. It had been a long day with many words spoken to many ears. But for now she was done. For now—

She sighed and turned to her comm. Now it was time for words that didn't want to poison. Words that might not even want at all. Her fingers punched the comm code on autopilot while a smile crept to her face.


	4. Underwater

It was most likely due to the colour of his skin. Humans lived in worlds where the water reflected their skies and more often than not, the immediate association was blue. Thrawn watched his fingers move.

"It's like being underwater," Arihnda had murmured, her breath gentle against his shoulder.

"Because of the detached serenity?", he had asked.

"No. Just like—drifting, engulfed from all sides, stranded, eternally."

"You will drown." Thrawn wasn't sure he understood.

"Yes." She moved slightly. "But it is safe. The worst has already happened."

It was still unsettling. But it explained a lot about Arihnda Pryce.


	5. Long

"Three weeks." The holoimage of Thrawn flickered. "Maybe four."

It was just half of the problem. Arihnda sighed. "Understood. Godspeed."

"I hear you were recalled to Coruscant."

"Tarkin requested my presence," she confirmed.

"He won't be there."

"I know."

The silence reached through the galaxy, connecting two of its most far-flung inhabitants. Arihnda knew it wasn't enough. It never was.

But it was what it was. Another month, another mission. It was always too long. But that was just half of the problem. And the other half made no sense. Not on its own. And yet, here she was.

—ing


	6. Sword

"Ancient," Arihnda disparaged the weapons but took one nevertheless.

Thrawn smiled. "Unexpected," he countered as he raised the blade and began to circle her.

Arihnda fell into a defensive posture. "Useful as such alone?"

She was not easy to teach, too many lessons had been learnt cruelly and randomly. But she was softening, listening. If only to him. A true challenge.

They circled each other in silence. Now and then the light glinted on a blade, an easy distraction neither fell for. The corners of her lips curled upwards. Oh, he would teach her a thing or two, no mistaking.


	7. Shy

"I understood that nudity is not taboo between lovers." His voice was full of questions.

Arihnda took a deep breath. He was right, of course; Thrawn usually was. It was not a taboo. She rubbed her forearms absently. One advantage of the Imperial uniform was that it covered you well.

"It's – personal," she finally said. "Painful."

Thrawn took a step towards her, taking one hand gently in his. "It can wait."

Looking down at their hands, Arihnda made her decision. There would never bee a good time, it would only become more difficult. And it was only scars after all.


	8. Crooked

Names were things of power. Back in the Ascendancy they bestowed rank, affiliation, and history. Thrawn had gotten used to the crude pronunciation of the centrepiece of his name. As the core of a person it ought to be reserved for close encounters.

But here it was his public face, the visible canvas, honoured and besmeared at will. That it was evoking twisted thoughts was not helping. Change the name to change the man. Did it work?

"Thrawn."

Her voice fell on his ear like velvet. Thrawn closed his eyes. Sometimes – sometimes his name still did comprise his true self.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In case it needs to be said, 'thrawn' means twisted, crooked.


	9. Screech (pt. 1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> One scene told in four drabbles...

"He wanted to leave my parents behind to die!" Arihnda took a deep breath, trying to calm down again. "I could not allow it. They are my parents, they are everything I have. They are—everything!"

A glance at Thrawn revealed him to be as calm as ever. So he had suspected, maybe even known. Arihnda paced for a while before sitting down on the bed.

"I had to shoot him with my mother watching. My mother! She has never seen violence in her whole life and then her only daughter—" she broke off.

"You should have seen her eyes."


	10. Gigantic (pt. 2)

It was obviously a big confession. Thrawn looked at the woman sitting on his bed, trying to stay composed. He would have been insulted had he not known her so well. She never let her composure go. Even when she relaxed, it was a conscious effort.

Arihnda Pryce did not break down. Ever.  
And yet here they were.

Thrawn suppressed a smile. It would send the wrong message. The right message being that she was not in control of the situation and that was okay. Not touching her hurt, but she was not there yet.

Keeping his distance, Thrawn waited.


	11. Run (pt. 3)

All she wanted to do was run. Leave and put as much space between her and everybody as possible. But there was nowhere to go. The _Chimaera_ was a big ship but even big ships ended and there was only space. The cold vacuum held a certain appeal.

Arihnda pulled her legs up, shaking her head. At least it was out. The worst had come to pass. A glance up revealed Thrawn still at a safe distance, watching, waiting.

Closing her eyes she took a few deep breaths. He was still there and he was not mad. Not visibly anyway.


	12. Shattered (pt. 4)

"I couldn't risk it."

Thrawn looked down at the huddle figure as Arihnda put her head onto her knees. Thrawn. It would have been easier had she looked up, but Arihnda was in a hell of her own making. The past was not something he could change, but in the present—

"You saved them." He sat down just close enough for her to notice. "You covered up killing Gudry by blowing the whole settlement up."

She sighed and leant against him. "Now I disgust them. But wouldn't you save those you love whatever the cost?"

"Even if they despised me."


	13. Teeming

For the first time in her life, Arihnda had felt the _desire_ to kill. How dared he? In her own house? Well, in her parents' house actually, but that didn't make it any better.

Their whole lives her parents had striven to make life better for her and for their workers while they still owned Pryce Mining. And there he stood, calling them freaks. Calling her one too by proxy but Arihnda didn't care. She had done questionable things in her life – her parents had not.

Her fingers closed around the blaster in her hand. Three shots were hardly enough.


	14. Fierce

She hadn't been much to look at in the dojo on Coruscant, just somebody getting their first real combat training. Thrawn had wondered what had become of Arihnda's skills in the meantime.

She wasn't much to look at now either. Arihnda Pryce didn't fight with elegance or flowing beauty. She fought to get the job done and she did. Another rebel went down. She grabbed his blaster and threw it to him, aware that his position was better for shooting. Then she went right t the next enemy.

Thrawn took out the rebel aiming at her from the right first.


	15. Mysterious

Everything new was something to unravel and so was he. But Thrawn was close-lipped and didn't help her.

His aide on the other hand—Arihnda smirked. Eli would talk about his Captain as detailed as the day was long. He wasn't easily pried off the side of his superior office but it was worth it.

Unfortunately, half he had to say about Chiss in general was legends. Well, she would get behind that calm, blue façade sooner or later.

"So, art you say?" She prompted the young man.

"I don't even know," Eli began.

Arihnda leant back with a smile.

  



	16. Fat

"They were smuggling—that?" Thrawn looked at the glistening blob of whitish wobble.

"Yes, Sir." To his credit Lieutenant-Commander Eli Vanto did not wince. "It is forbidden on Talasera."

"We are talking about variations of triglyceride?"

"Yes, Sir. Apparently Talasereans have two reactions to it: anaphylactic shock and delirious intoxication."

Thrawn punched the bridge of his nose. This was not what he was out here for. "Very well. Arrest the crew, confiscate the cargo and put that," he took a deep breath, "to good use in the kitchens."

Thrawn let out a long breath. The Emperor would not be amused.


	17. Graceful

A turn of the head, a small gesture of the hand – it was ll it took to distract her. Arihnda shook her head, trying to shake the feeling off but it was impossible.

Thrawn trailed his fingers over the surface of the desk, talking to her as he did so.

Arihnda realised she should probably be more interested in his words than his fingers. What was she thinking anyway? An alien. An upstart, too.

But there was music in the way Thrawn moved, a siren's call impossible to overhear; impossible to resist. He knew what he was doing. It showed.


	18. Filthy

Thrawn didn't understand. Considering another person in all their aspects including physical options should not call for verbal abuse. Yet there it was. Arihnda had a unique mind and strong agenda. Attraction was not implausible but the connotations of dirty were uncalled for.

Maybe it was because he was an alien, an upstart, protégée and an alien. Thrawn raised a hand scrutinising the portrait before him. It was quite possible that the mere suggestion of non-Core World people interacting thus with the elite evoked this reaction.

The Empire was strange. He intended to change it. Change it and have Arihnda.


	19. Cloud

She didn't like them. Even as the TIEs soared away to protect her home, Arihnda could not shake that feeling. They reminded her too much of swarming insects. The dust rose in their wake, emphasising the impending destruction.

It was easier to bear in space. There was no planet to devour, their howling was muted by the darkness and their movements were not sandwiched between heaven and earth. It was more military.

Unsurprisingly, TIEs were a deadly weapon under Thrawn's control. He only needed a handful to control a system. Arihnda smiled. Another reason to like the Admiral. Clear skies.


	20. Deep

"That is what they say?" Thrawn raised a brow.

"'fraid so," Eli replied. "They don't understand, so it has to be really deep or magic."

"You do not understand how I think either," Thrawn stated.

"No, Sir."

"But when you look at numbers-"

"Oh, numbers are obvious," Eli replied.

Maybe they were to the Lieutenant-Commander. As art was to him., But all brains were wired to see patterns and understand them. The only thing you were to do was find out which patterns those were and follow that path.

Thrawn turned to the displayed collection of Brolfi art again. "Interesting."


	21. Furious

Arihnda would have throttled Admiral Konstantine right there and then, in plain view of the bridge crew and her Grand Admiral. But he was on a different ship, a ship that was breaking formation despite explicit orders not to.

What kind of military was this?

Gritting her teeth Arihnda had to admit that it was hers, the Empire's. It's glory-seeking attitude and greed for fame that cost it; that cost lives and equipment, and this time, it might cost them victory.

Unfortunately, Konstantine would not be alive to taste this defeat. It beat Arihnda how Thrawn could stay so calm.


	22. Trail

The information was few and far between. Thrawn looked over the data again. Even with the numbers Eli provided he found more questions than answers. But Doonium was definitely involved. And he knew somebody who was definitely involved with Doonium – a contact worth cultivating.

Thrawn smiled thinly. Admittedly, Arihnda Pryce was a little more rash than desirable. Her consideration of consequences also left a lot to be desired. But she moved well on the political stage, something Thrawn had avoided so far. It was a good angle to work, making her feel to be the stronger side of the alliance.


	23. Juicy

It was a double-edged pleasure. Arihnda watched the slow progress of Meiloorun juice down Thrawn's chin. It was an invitation, of course. He was too impeccable for mishaps like this, even out of his pristine white uniform. And he knew what she liked. It was still bitter-sweet – the taste of home and defeat.

So she raised a hand instead, gently wiping the trail away with her thumb. When Arihnda pulled back, Thrawn caught her hand, though, carefully licking the juice off.

"It is a starting point," he said softly not taking his eyes from her face, "not the final destination."


	24. Blind

It took some getting used to. The dullness in itself bespoke an inability to see properly. Of course everybody here had the same dull eyes. But Arihnda's eyes - they had the hue of skin. Not just blue – skin.

It was distracting. The constant urge to wipe a stray flake of skin away, wondering if she had her eyes closed or not. There were situations where it added spice. But on a day-to-day basis in the military, it was less than helpful.

She blinked, wiping the glimpse of home from her face momentarily. Then Arihnda tilted her head. "Are you listening?"


	25. Ship

Mere inches between her and the cold vacuum of space. Arihnda tried not to think about it. Space travel was a wonderful thing – but only as long as you didn't realise how close death was at any given moment. She sighed, so this was her life now.

_You could have chosen differently_ , she reminded herself. But she had not. Somewhere out there lay Lothal like a gleaming marble against the backdrop of space while she was here, chasing her hopes and dreams. Once again. Different ones.

Looking at the back of Thrawn's white uniform, she could not regret her decision.


	26. Squeak

"It was merely an expression of surprise," Thrawn insisted.

"Of course," Arihnda purred into his ear, wrapping her arms around his waist from behind. "I would never doubt your word."

"Do I detect sarcasm?"

"I don't know, do you?"

"Indeed, I do." He ran his hands up her arms. "My grasp of human intonation is exceptional."

"Then grasp this!" Arihnda's hand went on a sudden excursion.

Thrawn caught it effortlessly and turned his head, brushing his cheek against hers. "I know you, Arihnda Pryce. I know you well."

"That remains to be seen." Arihnda grazed his skin with her lips.


	27. Climb

Everything worth having was like a mountain to climb. Arihnda sighed, looking at the white-clad mountain before her. It wasn't that she wouldn't climb him like a mountain, or a tree for that matter. No, Thrawn was being obnoxious on purpose.

"He has an excellent reputation among artists."

"For covers for romance novels!" Arihnda swallowed the adjective just in time.

"Is this not a romance?"

She glared at him, crossing her arms.

"For me then." Thrawn almost smiled.

_Everything worth having_ , she reminded herself. It sure was an uphill battle. "Alright." She cupped her forearms protectively. "But no short sleeves."


	28. Fall

It was a strange expression. Thrawn didn't understand why humans would expend so much power on denying the choices that led to caring for another. It was natural and important for everybody.

As a motion, falling was too undirected, something that could not be controlled and had also not been instigated consciously. But relationships did not work like that. Trusting Eli had been a decision made over time, based on their interactions and, admittedly, thorough research.

Chance had nothing to do with who he decided to spend his time with. It was a choice, his choice, and he had chosen.


	29. United

"He's the Emperor!" Arihnda swallowed.

"Yes, Thrawn replied calmly. "And he has allowed this. Look at the facts Arihnda. Is his, is this government one that can bring stability, order, peace?"

Arihnda closed her eyes. She hated it when Thrawn was right. "So what will you do?"

"We," he corrected with a thin smile.

"Right," she agreed reluctantly. "We."

The system was serving her well. She had what she had come for, power and safety for her family. She could lose it all. But she had seen where the Empire was headed. That way she would lose everything as well.


	30. Found

It was surprising, Thrawn mused. So far from everything he knew, from everything he loved and cherished, from everything he cared for, he had found another person to warrant full commitment. Not the commitment of pleasure, allegiance or even friendship, but the full commitment to a shared future.

Aligned where it mattered. The same motivation to protect the ones you loved; the same willingness to do whatever it took regardless of personal cost; the same determination. It was unexpected but not unwelcome.

Thrawn tightened his hold on the woman sleeping in his arms. Maybe this time things would work out.


	31. Mask

Arihnda closed her eyes and leant against the door after it hissed shut behind her. Exhaling slowly she covered her face with her hands. There was one place, one place in the whole galaxy, where she didn't need this.

It might have been made from glass, keeping her features in place throughout the day, but Arihnda knew it was there every single second. But not any longer.

Her fingers dragged the stiffness from her face like invisible clay. No more pretending. No more lies. No more hiding.

When she opened her eyes Arihnda found Thrawn looking at her. She smiled.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I want to thank everybody who took a moment to read these.


End file.
